Ben Simmons headlines key numbers from Sixers' 127-108 win over Bulls

Ben Simmons headlines key numbers from Sixers' 127-108 win over Bulls

For at least one night, most of the concern surrounding the team’s poor showing against the Boston Celtics, injuries, depth and Markelle Fultz’s shot (to some extent) were put aside.

The Philadelphia 76ers rolled in their home opener against the Chicago Bulls, winning 127-108 behind dominant second and third quarters. Over the 24-minute span, Philly outscored their opponent 64-35, taking control of the game and never giving it back.

Let’s take a deep dive into the game and break down a few key numbers from the Sixers’ first win of the season.

14 – Minutes remaining when Ben Simmons completed triple-double

The 2018 Rookie of the Year nearly had a triple-double in the opener, so he had to finish the job on this night. Simmons also made sure to get it done nice and early so there was no question about it, as he dished out assist No. 10 with just over two minutes left in the third quarter.

Simmons’ final stat line included 13 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 assists while adding two blocks and one steal for good measure.

90 – Percent of free throws made by Philly

The Sixers shot 58.3 percent from the free throw line against Boston. This included Simmons going 5-11, and the team’s inability to convert from the line made a potential comeback nearly impossible.

Against Chicago, the Sixers didn’t just make their free throws, they made 27 of them. Simmons was 3-3 from the line, Joel Embiid made 12-14 and the bench converted 4-4. This was a big step forward on an impressive night.

16- Rebounding differential between Sixers and Bulls

After being out-rebounded 55-47 on opening night, Brett Brown’s squad flipped the script in the victory. Led by a combined 25 rebounds between Simmons and Embiid, the Sixers finished with 55 team rebounds compared to 39 for the Bulls.

Getting the job done on the glass will be huge for Philly moving forward. It certainly helps when you have a point guard capable of racking up double-digit rebounds on a nightly basis.

39 – Points scored by the Sixers bench

A major talking point from the loss to the Celtics was the shooting struggles from the team’s bench. While they scored 26 points in that game, just 10 of them came from players other than JJ Redick.

It was a different story on Thursday against the Bulls, as four of six bench players scored and three of them finished in double figures. Amir Johnson (13 points), Landry Shamet (12) and Redick (10) led the way in an impressive performance by the second unit.

29 – Minutes for Landry Shamet

I loved seeing this move from Brown. Shamet has made a strong impression through the early stages of his career, and he looks like a perfect fit on this roster. The former Wichita State standout’s 29 minutes were as many as Robert Covington played and more than both Dario Saric and Redick.

The big minutes resulted in solid production as well. Shamet made 4-7 shots for 12 points while adding four rebounds, two steals, one assist, and one block.